United Way Fresno and Madera Counties

What United Way Fresno and Madera Counties does

United Way Fresno and Madera Counties (UWFMC) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 4949 E Kings Canyon Road in Fresno, California, operating as a locally governed chapter within the broader United Way network. The organization delivers a suite of free community service programs targeting low-income individuals and families across Fresno and Madera Counties in California's Central Valley. Service delivery is organized around three pillars: financial stability (free IRS-certified tax preparation via VITA sites, utility bill assistance through the REACH and Match My Payment programs, and tax credits assistance for the California Earned Income Tax Credit), education (Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for children ages 0-5 in Madera County), and well-being (a 24/7 multilingual 211 helpline, Community Health Workers program, Kick It California quit-smoking coaching, and emergency preparedness support for Public Safety Power Shutoff events).

UWFMC's underlying technology infrastructure is modest: a web-based service delivery platform supplemented by Google Analytics, with no proprietary technology, patents, or trademarks disclosed. Core operational systems include the 211ca.org referral backbone, integration with Dollar Energy Fund's hardshiptools.org for utility assistance applications, and referral linkages to MyFreeTaxes for self-employed filers. Distribution is omnichannel via the 211 phone line, in-person tax preparation sites, community health worker field outreach, and direct-mail book delivery. The organization employs 11-50 staff under leadership of President & CEO Stephanie Nathan, with governance by an independent Board of Directors chaired by Ivonne Der Torosian.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations, workplace giving campaigns (including California state employees via Our Promise), corporate sponsorships (AT&T, Cummins, Tri Counties Bank, PG&E, Bertha and John Garabedian Foundation), and grants — with a flagship $10 million CERF grant secured in May 2023 for Central Valley economic development. All services are provided free of charge to eligible beneficiaries. Annual revenue is not publicly disclosed in the source material.

Name

United Way Fresno and Madera Counties

Legal name

United Way Fresno and Madera Counties

Website

https://uwfm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United Way Fresno and Madera Counties is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering free community services — including a 24/7 211 helpline, free tax preparation, utility assistance, and early literacy programs — to low-income individuals and families across California's Central Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Community Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Human services nonprofit
• Financial stability programs
• Free tax preparation
• Utility assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Fresno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Received $10 million grant from California Community Economic Resilience Fund to support economic development and job creation in the Central Valley
2. Donations and Workplace Giving: Individual donations, workplace giving campaigns including California State Employees through Our Promise program, and corporate partnerships

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

United Way Fresno and Madera Counties is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers free community social services across Fresno and Madera Counties. Its core offerings include the 24/7 211 Helpline, Free Tax Preparation for households earning $69,000 or less, REACH Utility Assistance for PG&E customers, early literacy through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Community Health Workers, Emergency Preparedness support, and a Quit Smoking coaching program. Services are organized around three focus areas: Financial Stability, Education, and Well-being.

Product overview

United Way Fresno and Madera Counties operates a suite of community service programs organized around three focus areas: Financial Stability (Free Tax Preparation, REACH Utility Assistance, Tax Credits Assistance), Education (Dolly Parton Imagination Library), and Well-being (211 Helpline, Community Health Workers, Emergency Preparedness, Quit Smoking). The organization does not offer a unified technology platform but rather delivers services through direct assistance, partnerships, and referral systems. The Free Tax Preparation service is the flagship offering for financial stability, while the 211 Helpline serves as the central intake point for connecting residents to all programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 211 Helpline A 24/7 hotline available 365 days a year offering multilingual support, connecting residents to emergency services including housing, food, job training, and mental health resources.
• Free Tax Preparation No-cost tax preparation service for households earning $69,000 or less, with IRS-certified volunteer preparers available February through April at locations in Fresno and Madera Counties.
• REACH Utility Assistance Utility bill assistance program helping families apply for credits toward PG&E bills through Dollar Energy Fund, offering up to $800 credit via REACH and up to $1,000 match via Match My Payment.
• Dolly Parton Imagination Library Early literacy program in partnership with First 5 Madera providing free monthly books delivered to homes for children ages 0-5 in Madera County, available in English or bilingual Spanish/English.
• Emergency Preparedness Program assisting people with access and functional needs in high fire-risk areas to prepare for Public Safety Power Shutoff events through personalized care coordination via the 211 helpline.
• Community Health Workers Program One-on-one support services offering personalized care coordination, assessments, connections to community resources, and assistance with public benefit applications including Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and utility assistance.
• Quit Smoking Program Partnership with Kick It California providing free, science-based one-on-one coaching to help Central Valley residents quit smoking.
• Tax Credits Assistance Assistance helping clients claim eligible tax credits including California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), Young Child Tax Credit, and Foster Youth Tax Credit.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AT&TcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting United Way Fresno and Madera Counties programs and community initiatives
• CumminscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting community programs and initiatives
• Tri Counties BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program helping low-income families with free tax preparation across Northern and Central California
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner enabling utility assistance programs including REACH and Match My Payment for customers facing utility shutoff
• Bertha and John Garabedian FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation partner supporting community programs and initiatives
• Kick It CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearly 30-year partnership providing free, customized, science-grounded quit smoking coaching to Central Valley residents through the 211 referral system
• First 5 MaderacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to children across Madera County, providing free books to children ages 0-5
• Dollar Energy FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization managing the REACH utility assistance application process for PG&E customers

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: The umbrella organization for the United Way network, of which UWFMC is a local affiliate. Directly comparable mission, brand, and donor infrastructure, though at a much larger national scale.
• The Salvation Army Fresno: National social-services nonprofit with direct Fresno-area service delivery (utility assistance, emergency relief, family support) competing for overlapping donor dollars and clients.
• American Red Cross Central California Region: National emergency preparedness and relief organization with Central Valley operations covering overlapping emergency-preparedness, disaster response, and community health programming.

Direct peers

• United Way Bay Area: Local California-based United Way chapter serving the Bay Area with similar financial stability, education, and well-being programs and a comparable mix of grants, workplace giving, and partnerships.
• United Way of Greater Los Angeles: Major California United Way affiliate operating a comparable financial stability, education, and housing/emergency program portfolio supported by corporate partnerships and large institutional grants.
• United Way of Sacramento Region: Closely comparable local California/Central Valley-adjacent United Way chapter operating similar financial stability and education programs with overlapping employer partnerships.
• 211 California Network (211 California): Statewide 211 service network that powers UWFMC's 24/7 helpline. Directly comparable in intake, referral, and multilingual service delivery model and a key operational dependency for UWFMC.
• Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission (Fresno EOC): Regional Central California antipoverty nonprofit delivering comparable wraparound services including early childhood education, workforce development, and utility/housing assistance to overlapping Fresno County populations.
• Community Action Partnership of Madera County (CAPMC): Local community-action agency serving Madera County with directly comparable antipoverty, housing, energy-assistance, and early childhood programs, funded through similar federal and California grant streams.

Regional players

• Central Valley Community Foundation: Regional Central Valley philanthropic foundation operating alongside UWFMC, funding many of the same CBO partners and sharing the same donor and grantmaker ecosystem in Fresno and Madera Counties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/uwfmc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uwfmc
• Instagraminstagram.com/uw_fmc
• Xx.com/uwfmc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Way Fresno and Madera Counties